updated 10:15 am EDT, Tue April 10, 2007

Sony VAIO G Solid State

Sony today launched an aggressive overhaul of its notebooks in Japan, and started its campaign with the addition of a 32GB solid-state flash drive option for the VAIO G. In addition to speeding up load times and improving shock resistance, the changeover makes the 12-inch ultraportable lighter still at 1.89 pounds without its optical drive. Owners also get an extra half-hour of battery life (up to 12.5 hours on an extended battery).

The flash storage is a swap-in option for the G which brings the price to $1,926 with a 1.5GHz Core Solo and Vista Business. It ships now in Japan and should make its way to other countries soon along with Sony's other notebook updates today, which are detailed after the break.

Sony also took the time to boost the performance of its more mainstream notebooks. The 13.3-inch VAIO C now starts off with a faster 1.86GHz Celeron M (versus 1.73GHz) as well as larger 120GB and 160GB drives taking the place of 100GB and 120GB drives in certain PCs. Systems start in Sony's home country from $1,257 for an entry model with the Celeron, 512MB of RAM, a 100GB hard disk, and Vista Home Basic. A top-end edition costs $1,593 for a 1.66GHz Core 2 Duo, 1GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, and GeForce Go 7400 video.

Lastly, Sony has also stepped up the performance of its mid-range VAIO FE and starter VAIO N portables. Both 15.4-inch systems see their base hard drive storage bumped from 80 to 100GB, while the FE also receives the option of a 1.66GHz Core 2 Duo for faster performance than the previous Core Duo-only model. A base VAIO N begins at $1,132 with a 1.73GHz Celeron M, 512MB, and the previously mentioned 100GB of storage preloaded with Vista Home Basic and Office 2007 Personal; the FE goes without Office but draws on a faster 1.86GHz Celeron M for $1,090. These two computers as well as the refreshed C-series launch on April 21st.